Italian vineyard owners and winemakers who spoke to the Daily Mail in Sicily said they see recurring errors in how many Britons drink wine, from putting ice in rosé to serving bottles at inappropriate temperatures and using unsuitable glassware.
The producers — including Penny Murray of Planeta, Francesco Tola of Tola winery and Francesca Tonnino of Tonnino — outlined simple changes that, they said, make a measurable difference to aroma, flavour and the overall experience of a wine.
Glassware, they said, matters more than many casual drinkers realise because the shape and thinness of a bowl affect how aromas are delivered to the nose and how the liquid reaches different taste zones on the tongue. "If you have the right glass, the aromatics of the wine are always going to be much better," Penny Murray, export director at Planeta, said. Pierre Mansour of the Wine Society noted that stemmed glasses help preserve the wine's temperature by preventing hand warmth from altering the liquid.
Producers recommended flutes for sparkling wines because a tall, narrow shape supports bubble travel, while whites and aromatic wines benefit from stemmed glasses that concentrate scent toward the nose. Fuller-bodied reds are typically served in larger bowls to allow oxygen contact; many red wines with significant tannins will open after decanting or brief exposure to air, softening bitter sensations.
Temperature was described as one of the most common and damaging mistakes. "Red wines that are too warm and white wines that are too cold lose their character," Francesca Tonnino said. Francesco Tola added that adding ice to wine dilutes and flattens the intended aroma and flavour profile and that chilled reds in particular can become harsh because cold temperatures mute aromas and accentuate tannins.
Letting wine "breathe" — exposing it to oxygen either by decanting or by letting a poured glass sit for 15 to 30 minutes — was recommended for structured reds. Tonnino said oxygen helps release aromas and soften tannins; Tola warned against filling glasses to the brim because a full glass can trap aromas and make swirling, which introduces air, ineffective.
A consistent cultural difference between Sicilian practice and observed British habits concerned food. Winemakers described wine in Italy as part of the table and daily ritual rather than an occasional drink or a beverage consumed on its own. "In Italy, wine is always part of the table, not something to drink in isolation," Tonnino said, citing common local pairings such as Grillo with seafood and Nero d'Avola with slow-cooked meats.
Filippo Bartolotta, a wine educator, said drinking without food would worry his Italian friends because food helps moderate alcohol's effects and enhances both the drink and the meal. Tola and others said pairing encourages slower sipping and more mindful enjoyment and argued that matching acidity, tannin and sweetness to dishes brings out complexity that might be lost when wine is drunk alone.
Producers also pointed to differences in how consumers choose wines. Bartolotta and others said British shoppers tend to be guided by supermarket displays and branding, whereas Italians often select wines based on region and local culinary associations. "In the UK shelves are driven by the supermarkets. In Italy, you are driven by region because every region has its own wine," he said.
While the Sicilian experts acknowledged changing tastes among younger consumers in Britain — including greater interest in food and wine pairings — they urged straightforward habits to improve enjoyment: use appropriate stemmed glassware, serve each wine at its recommended temperature, give structured reds time to open and put food on the table. They framed those steps as practical fixes rather than rules, aimed at revealing the character winemakers intend when they craft a bottle.
The observations come from visits to vineyards and cellars across Sicily, a region noted in the interviews for its Grillo and Nero d'Avola grapes, where owners and managers described wine as embedded in daily life, family meals and local tradition. Across the interviews, producers emphasised that small adjustments in how wine is served and consumed can change the tasting experience significantly and make wines feel more expressive and balanced.